Poetry International Poetry International
Poem

Shai Dotan

A JERUSALEM POEM

We forgot to close the window at night.
The city broke into our home.
Cars sped across the living room.
Boys settled into couches, flashed
knife blades, and turned on the TV.
Someone sprayed slogans on the bathroom wall
“death to the prime minister”.
In the kitchen, two cops beat an Arab from Shuafat
and tossed him in the squad car. You fell
into deep sleep. And all night
I searched for refuge in you.

שכחנו בלילה

שכחנו בלילה

.שָׁכַחְנוּ בַּלַּיְלָה לִסְגֹּר אֶת הַחַלּוֹן
.הָעִיר פָּרְצָה אֵלֵינוּ פְּנִימָה
מ.ְכוֹנִיּוֹת חָצוּ אֶת הַסָּלוֹן בִּמְהִירוּת מֻפְרֶזֶת
נְעָרִים הִשְׁתַּקְּעוּ בַּכֻּרְסָאוֹת, שָׁלְפוּ
.סַכִּינִים לוֹהֲבוֹת וְהִדְלִיקוּ טֶלֶוִיזְיָה
מִישֶׁהוּ רִסֵּס בַּשֵּׁרוּתִים סִיסְמָאוֹת
.נֶגֶד הַהִתְנַתְּקוּת, מָוֶת לְרֹאשׁ הַמֶּמְשָׁלָה
בַּמִּטְבָּח, שְׁנֵי שׁוֹטְרִים סָטְרוּ לַעֲרָבִי מִשּׁוֹעַפַאת
וְזָרְקוּ אוֹתוֹ לַנַּיֶּדֶת. אַתְּ שָׁקַעְתְּ
בְּשֵׁנָה עֲמֻקָּה. אֲנִי כָּל הַלַּיְלָה
.חִפַּשְׂתִּי מִקְלָט בְּגוּפֵךְ

Close

A JERUSALEM POEM

We forgot to close the window at night.
The city broke into our home.
Cars sped across the living room.
Boys settled into couches, flashed
knife blades, and turned on the TV.
Someone sprayed slogans on the bathroom wall
“death to the prime minister”.
In the kitchen, two cops beat an Arab from Shuafat
and tossed him in the squad car. You fell
into deep sleep. And all night
I searched for refuge in you.

A JERUSALEM POEM

We forgot to close the window at night.
The city broke into our home.
Cars sped across the living room.
Boys settled into couches, flashed
knife blades, and turned on the TV.
Someone sprayed slogans on the bathroom wall
“death to the prime minister”.
In the kitchen, two cops beat an Arab from Shuafat
and tossed him in the squad car. You fell
into deep sleep. And all night
I searched for refuge in you.
Sponsors
Gemeente Rotterdam
Nederlands Letterenfonds
Stichting Van Beuningen Peterich-fonds
Prins Bernhard cultuurfonds
Lira fonds
Versopolis
J.E. Jurriaanse
Gefinancierd door de Europese Unie
Elise Mathilde Fonds
Stichting Verzameling van Wijngaarden-Boot
Veerhuis
VDM
Partners
LantarenVenster – Verhalenhuis Belvédère